Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-12-07

break his promise to marry her that she
had determined to put her idea into exc
cution. She knew that ordinarily Edward
Layton kept the latch key of the street
door in the pocket of his ulster. She
disclosed the scheme to Eustace, and
threatened him with exposure if he did not
do as she desired. 1t was she who took the
ulster from the wall of the restaurant,
and it was she who, secretly and eXpc-
ditiously, assisted Eustace to put it on;
then they stole out together and entered
the carriage. Before acquainting EuStace
with her design she had ascertained that
Edward LaytOn's carriage was waiting
for him and Mabel She trusted to her
own resources to keep her master out OF
his house after she and Eustace had
entered it.
Here word is necessary as to the true
meaning of Edward Layton's proceedings
during the day and night Of March %.
Abandoned as were the hopes (which he
and Mabel had once fondly indulged, she,
still relied upon his efforts to save her
brother from harm. Eustace had lost
heavily upon certain races. He had made
despairing appeal to her, and she called
upon Layton to assist the erring lad. 1t
was In the endeavor to. discover Eustace
that Edward Layton had driven from
place to place to obtain from him the in
formation necessary to rescue him from
his peril. Mabel had, by letter, engaged
to meet Edward Layton in Bloomsbury
square at 10 o'clock on the night of that
day. in order that he might relieve her
anxiety with respect to her brother.
how .,ot tron
they met, have been already sufficiently
detailed.
Ida Whites maneuverS were success
full up to certain point. She and
Eustace entered the carriage, were driven
home, and, unsuspected, obtained en-
trance into the house. The correspon-
dencc between Eustace and Mabel had
been for some time conducted through the
medium of the system Of the nine OF
hearts, and it was either by an oversight
or by accident that Eustace, during the
drive from Prevost's restaurant to Edward
Layton's house, took from his own pocket
one of these cards and let it drop into the
pocket of the ulster. But when they
were safely in Layton's house, and crept
stealthily and noiselessly into Mrs. Lay
toms bedroom, they made the horrible
discovery that Mrs. Layton, in a moment
of frenzy, had emptied the bottle Of
poisonous narcotics, and had by her own
will destroyed herself The proof was
at her bedside. When she had swallowed
the fatal pills, the horror of the deed
overwhelmed her. She summoned up
sufficient strength to rise in her bed,
to take paper and the pen from the ink
stand and before the death agony COM
menced in her sleep, to write upon that
paper the confession which fixed upon her
the crime Of suicide.
Having reached this point of the strange
story, l demanded to know from Eustace
Rutland what had become of that confes-
sion.
Ida took possession Of it," he said,
'"and I have not seen it from that moment
to this
"Why did you not come forward and
make this public?" cried.
Because" was his reply, "Ida told me
that, if what we had done became known,
nothing could save US from the hangman. I"
did she obtain possession of the forged
acceptances?'
eyes,
''How was it that the tumbler from
which the fatal draught was taken was on
the mantcl shelf"
Ida placed it there"
1t was enough. The entire facts of this
mysterious case were clear to me. re-
quired nothing more to prove Edward
Layton's innocence that the possession Of
the document written almost in her death
throes by the unhappy wife.
I unlocked the door and called up Fow-
ler. Briefly and swiftly I told him what
was necessary, and said it was not at all
improbable that this document was in Ida
Whites lodgings at BriXton; and had
scarcely uttered the words before rat.
tat-tat came at the street door.
''It is sher' cried Eustace.
"Who?" T asked, in great excitement.
"Ida," he replied.
''It serves our turn exactly, sir" nut.
tered Fowler to me, and then addressing
Eustace, he said ''Is that your bed
room:" pointing to communicating
door.
eyes"
eve will go in there. Let the lady
come up"
We disappeared, leaving the communi.
eating door partially open, and the next
minute heard Ida Whites voice.
"Cursed luckn' she cried. ''I've lost
eS5 to-day. I tell you what it is Eus-
tace-if we can't wheedle your old gov.
ernor into forgiving us after we are mar
ried, we shall have to turn bookmakers
ourselves. You shall take the bets, and
will do the clerking. 1t will be novelty.
and we shall make pots of money"
Eustace did not reply.
"Why don't you speak," she continued.
"Are you struck dumb:"
Then came EuStace'S voice, like the cry
of q desparing soul:
"You are devil! Why have you
driven me to this? hate You, hate you,
hate you! You tiend, you have killed my
sister!i'
Fowler did not wait for me to act. He
seized me by the arm and pulled me after
him into the room.
''Whatn' screamed Ida; 'you two!
Eyes" said Fowler-and in the midst
of my own excitement I could not avoid
observing the expression of calm satisfac.
ton OH his face-''wc two."
What are you here for?"
'For reasons, Ida White" replied
Fowler, (Which may or may not be
fatal to yourself. Follow what l am
about to say. We have here con-
fcssion from this young gentleman which,
il true-that is, ifit can be proved by doc.
umentary evidence-Wil bring undoubted
disgrace upon you, but neither death by
the hangman's hanCs nor penal servitude
for life"
She recoiled, and echoed
"Death! Penal servitude for life!'
"It is exactly as have said. Death by
the hangmans hands or penal servitudo
for life. All is known. Your theft of the
ulster at Prcvost's restaurant, and every
thing else. Your liberty at this moment
rests upon written document. If it
never existed, or if you have destroyed it,
You are doomed. If it exists you are
savcd.n
"You are q madmanm she cried, but
her face was blanchea and her figure eX-
pressed the most abiect terror.
Il am an officer Of the law" said Fow-
Ter. ''Now do you understand? If the
confession written by Mrs. Edward Lay
ton, and which, after her death, you took
from the table by her bedside, is in exist
encc, you have nothing to fear. If it Is
not you are Il lost woman. No words, no
parleying 1t is life or death for you!
The moment has come. Decide. Which
way?'
Utterly ovcrpowcrcd, Ida White replied,
with hands tremblingly raised, as if for
mercy:
81 have the paper"
"Whcrc?"
Her hands wandered to her pocket. and
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